thanks

the flip side of this version was Are You From Dixie. I have the old 78 of it but it is buried deep somewhere, so it was a thrill to get to hear it here so easily.

Ernest Thompson was born in 1892. When he was a child he was badly burned in a fire. It damaged his voice box which is why he sings so oddly. Later he was blinded while working in a sawmill. He had only two recording sessions, one in 1924 and again in 1930. He was a street musician all his life and died in 1961.

Ref: "Country Music Records A Discography" by Tony Russell
"Wreck of The Southern 97" was recorded by
Henry Whitter - 12/10/1923 for Okeh, NY,NY
Earnest Thompson - 4/26/1924 for Columbia, NY,NY
Vernon Dalhart - 5/14/1924 for Edison, NY,NY
Earnest Thompson is shown to have had nine (9) recording sessions from April 25, 1924 through March 29, 1930.

http://pic-a-pagediscounts.com/Wreck_Of_The_Old_97.html />Wreck Of The Old 97 (Larry W. Jones 11/03/2008) (song#5825)
The route from Monroe to Spencer was rolling terrain
Mail was there on time on the Southern Railway fast train
The day, t'was a Sunday, in the year nineteen oh three
September twenty seven went down in history
The train had late arrival in Monroe, Virginia
Ninety Seven had the speed like a fire within ya
Just one hour late was nothing for this steam condenser
Old Ninety Seven would make up that time to Spencer
Many signs were posted to warn of steep grades and curves
But the Fast Mail was driven by guts and steady nerves
North Carolina was a hundred sixty six miles
Engineer Broadey said he would make it there in style
Danville's Stillhouse Trestle was seventy five feet high
And old Ninety Seven made the approach on the fly
To make that curve before the trestle was looking bleak
Nine good men died at the bottom of Cherrystone Creek
The wreck of the old Ninety Seven is history
And just why it left the tracks is no man's mystery
Now, Southern Railway wanted the mail to be on time
But Danville's Stillhouse trestle was the end of the line
All you fair ladies, when you write your love a letter
Don't be so worried about getting it there on time
Some engineer may speed even though he knows better
The wreck of Old Ninety Seven wasn't worth your dime
Note to musicians:
These lyrics are ready for YOUR music,
recording and marketing as you wish.
email Larry W. Jones at lwj001@hotmail.com

I'm very happy I stumbled onto this. Does anyone know the lyrics or where I could find them? I tried listening to the song but I couldn't quite figure them out.

I have been enjoying this mp3 for a few months now. Thompson's singing has a gruff charm, and I think this version has a lot more excitement than Vernon Dalhart's two recordings (both available on the archive). This is also the only recording of "Old 97" that I have found to feature an additional verse in the beginning of the song.

"The Wreck of the Old 97" was initially recorded commercially by Virginia musicians G. B. Grayson and Henry Whitter (Okeh records), but when it was released by light-opera singer Vernon Dalhart, it became the first million-selling record in the United States.
http://www.blueridgeinstitute.org/ballads/old97song.html

Actually Vernan Dalhart was the first person to record this album on an Edison Recording in 1924. And yes that sound that you hear is a ukelele. In fact my Great Grandfather Frank (Palakiko) Ferreira was the ukelele player in Dalharts recording. He is credited with bringing the first ukelele and hawiian music to the United States

My interest was piqued.. what was on the b side of this record? So i downloaded this, and it's just great! A simple song, with a harmonica, a ukelele(?) and a great bluegrass voice. The song I'm not entirely clear on, but this is a great listen.

I was raised in the mountains of eastern WV, poor and with no electricity or other utilities. My
grandfather left me a wind-up Edison Victrola
( cylinder records ) and OLD 97 was my favorite of
the few that I had. It was Vernon Dalharts version from 1927, I think. I have always been fascinated by the song and the story behind it. The rendition by Ernest Thompson is one of the best I have ever heard. I had never heard of Thompson. Guess I'll do some research. I really enjoyed this